Pyruvic acid and its salts (as well as esters and amides) have been described as beneficial for use to supplement the human diet. Such benefits include protection from harmful oxidation (anti-oxidant), energy enhancement and endurance, fat reduction and the promotion of lean body mass, and others. The exact mechanisms of nutritional enhancement for pyruvate are unknown, but have been postulated. Stanko and Bunger ("The Mystery of PYA)[in press]) have reported that significantly enhanced metabolic activities have resulted from the dietary supplemental feeding of pyruvate in mammalian species, including human, at daily dosage levels of about 2-8 grams per day (as much as 100 g of pyruvate per day has been used safely).
Pyruvic acid and its salts, esters, and amide derivatives, have many inherent problems when used as nutritional supplements. For example, the calcium salt of pyruvic acid is a hygroscopic material that decomposes rapidly when mixed with water, and it is difficult to make on the industrial scale required for a commercially viable product. The sodium and potassium salts are easier to produce on such a scale, however are less desirable for dietary supplementation due to the rather high levels of the metals that would be ingested in order to realize any of the health benefits of the pyruvate. Also, the taste is not compatible with many drink or confectionery blends pyruvic acid esters and amides have also been prepared, and have been shown to have nutritional enhancement properties. Unfortunately, these pyruvate salts, esters and amides have all been shown to be labile molecules, with lifetimes unacceptable for use as dietary supplements in the commercial marketplace.